on the Memorial of Pope St. Leo the Great. In this profound reflection, Brother Joe tackles Jesus's seemingly harsh message about "scandalon" – the inevitable stumbling blocks within the Church. He explores how the imperfections of the Body of Christ can cause people to question their faith, and challenges us to consider our own role. Ultimately, he reveals the immense hope found in God's unending mercy and the call to repentance and forgiveness, even in a broken world.
#CatholicFaith #ChristianReflection #Scandalon #ChurchProblems #GodsMercy #Forgiveness #PopeStLeoTheGreat #BrotherJoeTrout #WordOfHope #SinAndGrace #SpiritualGrowth #Repentance #ChristianHope #StumblingBlocks #CatholicTeaching
Dominican Day of Giving: https://www.opcentral.org/dominicandayofgiving2025
Timestamps:
0:00 Welcome to Word of Hope with Brother Joe Trout
0:05 Memorial of Pope St. Leo the Great
0:10 A Seemingly Unhopeful Gospel Message: Sin is Inevitable
0:21 The Deeper Meaning of "Scandalon": Stumbling Blocks in the Church
0:35 The Church Will Always Cause People to Stumble
0:45 Our Actions as Members of Christ's Body Can Make Following Jesus Difficult
0:54 The Hard Message: The Church is Never Perfect in This Life
1:10 Despair or Hope? History Confirms the Church's Flaws (e.g., Abuse Crisis, Politics)
1:36 Individual Actions Can Cause Others to Question Jesus
1:44 A Hopeful Recognition: Jesus Knew the Church Would Be Imperfect
1:58 The Crucial Question: Am I Causing Scandal?
2:16 Do My Choices Reflect Christ's Light or Cause Others to Question?
2:25 The Question of Grace: Where is the Hope?
2:32 The Church is Called to Receive People Back Who Repent
2:46 We Are Called to Welcome Back the Sinner
2:53 Forgiveness Doesn't Mean Restoring the Same Platform
3:02 The Unending Mercy of God: The Truth of the Gospel
3:08 Pondering Our Own Moments of Causing Stumbling Blocks
3:22 Turning to Christ for Mercy and Receiving God's Goodness
3:30 God Continues to Work Through a Broken World
3:37 Conclusion: Have a Wonderful Day